Charlotte Cowan, M.D.

Meet the Author

Dr. Cowan is a board certified pediatrician who trained and practiced for many years at Boston’s MassGeneral Hospital for Children where she remains on staff. During her clinical years at the MGH, she served on the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Additionally, Dr. Cowan has completed a Fellowship in Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago and is a current Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

While in college at Princeton University, Dr. Cowan majored in English and developed a love of creative writing. Before going into medicine, she taught English and worked as a social worker with emotionally disturbed children in New York City.

Dr. Cowan is thrilled to combine her English and medical training by writing stories for children about the illnesses and issues that are important to them. Her first five books, collectively called the Dr. Hippo Series, are about acute infectious illnesses and are written to entertain, educate and comfort both parent and child.

The Little Elephant with the Big Earache was the first title. Published originally in 2004, The Little Elephant has been used nationwide by Departments of Public Health in educational outreach programs. Extremely well received within the medical community, The Little Elephant was released to the trade for the first time in October 2007.

In January 2008, the next three titles in the Dr. Hippo Series were released: Katie Caught a Cold, Peeper Has a Fever, and Sadie’s Sore Throat. The Moose with Loose Poops is being released in January 2009.

Dr. Cowan is married and has three children, ALL of whom have suffered the ailments about which she writes. They live in Eastern Massachusetts.

Read more about Dr. Cowan and the Dr. Hippo Series in the AAP Member Spotlight.